It’s a New Year, and my time assisting at GoComics is coming to an end as I pass the torch on to an awesome new intern. This is bittersweet. GoComics is my alma mater in a way: It's a place that will always have a special spot in my heart, where I’ve grown immensely and shared some really good laughs with a lot of really great people. The new year is a time of reflection, and as I reflect on 2013, I am the most thankful that I was able to get my start at GoComics, because GoComics has given me the tools I need to succeed. But now I face a fresh new start and that’s always an exciting thing. Calvin and Hobbes: The new year is also a time to set goals ... then slip into a pair of sweatpants, eat an entire pizza by yourself and pretend like you’re actually going to get off the couch and work out tomorrow. This year, I have decided to ditch my laissez-faire attitude toward New Year’s resolutions, seeing as new starts are the perfect opportunity to grab life by the horns, and I set some goals I absolutely have to stick to if I want to conquer this purgatory they call “the awkward 20-somethings.” For example, finding a job I love as much as this one, so I won’t have to live in my parents’ basement anymore. Ultimately, I want to be able to use this pickup line. Dilbert: I won’t lie, my past resolutions have not been successful, and new starts kind of freak me out, because both of these things imply change. However, life would be so boring if we didn’t change. Calvin and Hobbes: That’s the fun thing about change. Zen Pencils: Wishing you a happy new start with a brave new heart. What is your New Year's resolution? Comment on this blog post and let me know. ~Meredith Continue reading

“What is fruitcake made of?,” we all pondered in our GoComics marketing team meeting. “I mean there’s obviously fruit, sometimes nuts, but what other ingredients go into fruitcake, and what makes it last so long?” We are all fairly knowledgeable people here at GoComics, so why did we know so little about fruitcake? Is fruitcake just archaic tradition, or does it require a developed taste? I believe the answer is a little of both. A picture of the first fruitcake. CowTown: Dec. 27 is National Fruitcake Day, which should be aptly renamed National Fruitcake AWARENESS Day. Fruitcake, something often re-gifted rather than gifted, is a dying breed. It’s common knowledge that those who have a palate for fruitcake obviously carry a recessive genetic trait, while those who do not carry this gene have an instinctual disdain for this festive anomaly. Personally, I associate fruitcake with the Greatest Generation, something more popular among my grandparents. Somewhere in my clouded memory of Christmases past, I remember my grandma making fruitcake in the form of cupcakes for easier consumption. The finished product— an NHL professional grade hockey puck. The only person I’ve ever known to be really, truly excited about fruitcake was my easy-to-please Great Uncle John, whose Christmas list usually consisted of only two things: fruitcake and Old Spice. Either way, fruitcake has become the stuff of urban legends, despite its supposed 2-billion-year shelf life. Does fruitcake deserve a Hostess Twinkie-style comeback, or should we just let it go? In order to answers this hard-hitting question, I’ve consulted the comic gurus. Historically, fruitcake may have a bad rap. That is Priceless: Something both man and dog try to avoid. The Duplex: However, fruitcake can be repurposed, as demonstrated in FoxTrot: CowTown creator Charlie Podrebarac also offers a lot of interesting ways to recycle your fruitcake, though I would say his attitude toward fruitcake is a little negative. In fruitcake’s defense, there aren’t many foods that can hold a flame to CowTown BBQ. Refreshingly, Adam@Home seems to suggest fruitcake deserves a second chance, despite its “gross stuff.” I think fruitcake is getting too much flak. After all, you can eat it, re-gift it, or use it as a spare tire. It’s the gift that keeps on giving! What do you think about fruitcake? Comment of this blog post and let us know! ~Meredith Continue reading

In case you haven’t seen the television commercials, which have been running since Halloween, it’s that time of year again. The time when we get to take a break from our busy lives to celebrate the holidays, huddle indoors and surround ourselves with good food. Oh, yeah -- and family. We get to surround ourselves with our crazy families. Like the Otterloop family in Cul de Sac: It’s a joyous time, but for some of us the extra family time in cramped winter quarters can also be a little stressful. Especially when your mother is nagging you about your outfit choice, your aunt wants to know if she can set you up on a date with her “cutie patootie” neighbor, you have to listen to your uncle’s sad attempts at jokes and your siblings make snarky comments about your third helping of mashed potatoes. I’m getting worked up just thinking about it. It does sound familiar, Real Life Adventures: I don’t know why Rat has to leave. Everyone’s thinking it. Pearls Before Swine: So this holiday season remember to take deep breaths and take it easy on the eggnog, because the holidays will be over soon and you’ll go back to missing your clan of crazy relatives. ~Meredith Continue reading

Independence day means different things for different Americans. For some, it is a celebration of freedom. For others, it is a celebration of all things Americana: hot dogs, American beer, apple pie, pyrotechnics, the movie "Independence Day" or Lenny Kravitz’s "American Woman" playing on repeat. Here are some ways Americans and Toon Town citizens alike celebrate the 4th of July: 1) Exercising freedom of expression. Red and Rover: Specifically, the freedom to wear what one desires. The Duplex: Real Life Adventures: 2) Breaking free from the tyrannical rule of nagging family members. FoxTrot: Peanuts: 3) Barbecuing FoxTrot: 4) Setting off fireworks (of course) CowTown: Lio: … Or watching someone set them off for you. Poor Red. Red and Rover: And last, but not least … sparklers! The underdog of the firework display world. Real Life Adventures: Red and Rover: Wishing everyone a safe and happy 4th of July. Leave a comment on this post and tell us how you’re celebrating. ~The Intern Continue reading

The Puzzle Society brings you the Web's best selection of challenging, professionally constructed and nationally syndicated puzzles and games. With 75+ updated puzzles added each week and 8,000+ archived puzzles, your greatest challenge may be deciding which to play. Enter to win a puzzle prize pack from our sister site, The Puzzle Society! There will be a total of three winners. First place winner will receive a free yearlong subscription to The Puzzle Society plus a Hidato puzzle book. Second place winner will receive a Hidato puzzle book along with a Pocket Posh Sukendo puzzle book. Third place winner will receive a USA Today Txtpert book. To enter, leave a comment on this blog entry with your FIRST and LAST name. Limit one entry per person. This contest will end on Friday, April 12 at 3:00 pm CDT. Three winners will be selected at random and announced on the blog at 3:30 pm CDT that day. *This contest is open to US and Canada residents only. Sorry! (International giveaway coming soon!) Continue reading

When I started working here as “the intern,” I didn’t exactly know what I was getting myself into. I knew Universal Uclick represents classic comic strips like “Peanuts,” “For Better or For Worse” and “Garfield”, names that earn me street credit with my friends. However, those are only three names of the 300 comics strips UU reps, and our team is dedicated to getting the word out about every … single … strip. Everybody who works here has a favorite comic strip they grew up with or a strip that completely correlates with their sense of humor and personality (as seen by the swag posted all over their cubicles). So, I set off on a personal mission to find the one… the comic strip I could be truly proud to rep. One day, while photoshopping an extensive list of 600x600 images to use for mobile app images, I came across “Bloom County” and I started to nerd out. I had never heard of “Bloom County” before, but I have been a huge fan of Berkeley Breathed’s work since about age 4. I grew up reading (or being read) Breathed’s children’s books, such as “The Last Basselope,” “Edwurd Fudwupper Fibbed Big” and “Goodnight Opus,” which still sits in high honor on my bookshelf at my parents' house. Imagine my excitement when I realized “Bloom County” is a strip with the same satirical stories and the same characters I grew up with in an adult context. I can say with complete confidence that I really love what I do here at UU, working as a fan of the strips I represent makes it that much easier. Plus, the free coffee bar doesn’t hurt. Continue reading